Le Messager
Volume 1, no 2 – January 2007
des descendants de Nicolas Perrot
(english version)
A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT
Firstly, the members of the Board of Directors and myself would like to offer you and your family
our best wishes at the start of this new year. May 2007 be filled with Health, Happiness, Peace,
Prosperity and Success in your most cherished endeavors.
At the end of 2006, allow me to recap the activities which marked our first year of operation. Our
young Association already has some 100 members. Founded last April, the Association has been
granted its charter, has obtained a logo, which was adopted by the Board on December 10 last and
has secured the services of André Clément Perreault to create the Association's web site, and,
following that, to act as its webmaster. The site should be operational at the beginning of April 2007.
Its URL will be: www.NicolasPerrot.org
Last September 17, we hosted a gathering of descendants of Nicolas Perrot in Saint-Sulpice, in the
context of the 300th anniversary of the foundation of this parish. Five of the children of Nicolas and
Madeleine Raclos settled there, and the Perrot's are one of 4 founding families still living in
Saint-Sulpice, along with the Han-Chaussé, Prud’Homme and Rivest families. It was the first time
that the Association organized this activity which, notwithstanding a few hiccups, was a success. The
Board took note of these and will make the necessary adjustments to correct them.
The Board will meet again at the end of January to start planning the next annual cousinfest as well
as the statutory General Assembly.
Claude Perreault
President
OUR LOGO EXPLAINED
(drawn by Yves Perreault of Quebec City)
The fleur-de-lys (emblem of the Kings of France) represents
the western territory over which the King of France had
jurisdiction and was designated at that time by the phrase
New France.
The blue portion (to the East) represents that which is still
French, whereas the ochre portion (to the West) represents
the land of the Western Sea explored by Nicolas Perrot and
over which the sun sets.
The sun also represents the monstrance offered by Nicolas
Perrot to the Saint-François-Xavier Mission at Green Bay,
and which is now kept in a Wisconsin historical museum.
As to the canoe on the waves, this recalls the rivers that
Perrot navigated to bring the Amerindians withiin the French
sphere of influence or for the purpose of trading in furs.
Remembering the September 17 get-together
CONTENTS
Page 1 – Word from the
president and logo explained
This festive day started with a mass co-celebrated by the parish priest, assisted
by Serge Perreault in the magnificent heritage church of Saint-Sulpice.
Afterwards, the guests
made
their
way
to
Léo-Chaussé Hall where
our activities were to take
place. After a generous
Page 3 – Letter from a reader
meal catered by Le
Tournant des Érables,
Pages 4, 5 et 6 –
Jocelyn, Anne, Patrice,
Who is Nicolas Perrot ?
Marie-France, Françoise,
Nicolas, Marcel and Dr.
Page 6 – News from the Board
Dupras brought back to
life, for a short while, the
Pages 7 et 8 – A bit of
children of Nicolas Perrot
genealogy / membership form
The celebrants and those responsible for the and Madeleine Raclos,
pastoral letter
newly established in the seigneurie of Saint-Sulpice, at the start of the 18th century. Playing the roles of Claude,
Pierre, Michel, Jean and Clémence, they evoked their passage through Saint-Sulpice. We thank them for their
efforts.
Then, Maurice Prud’Homme, alderman of Saint-Sulpice and
author of 300 years of Saint-Sulpice retraced the history of this
parish and the arrival of Claude, Pierre, Michel, Jean and
Clémence Perrot, the 5 children of Nicolas who settled there.
Page 2 – A look-back on the
gathering of September 17 last
Following which, the Dupras family paid special homage to
their mother GERMAINE PERREAULT, who will shortly turn
99, and has just become a member of the Association.. We take
this opportunity to offer our best wishes to our oldest member.
Testimonial
Mister Perreault,
Please allow me to write you to express my
appreciation. At the get-together of the
Perreault's, my husband and I greatly
appreciated your efforts in helping us make
sense of the various period documents. That
said, history in general fascinates me and I
hope you were able to instill some interest in
other people as well.
Au plaisir,[signed]
Marguerite Saucier-Charron
Madame Germaine Perreault
2
Letter from one of our readers
Micheline Perreault, Director General of the Société généalogique canadienne-française, has provided us with a follow-up
to the article entitled “On the origins of Nicolas Perrot”, which appeared on page 3 of the first issue of our newsletter. We
thank her for this and present her interesting commentary.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Two questions spring to mind :
1 – Who is this Pierre Perrot ?
2 – What is the relationship between Pierre Perrot and Nicolas Perrot ?
1o Who is this Pierre Perrot ?
Pierre Perrot is the son of François Perrot, “praticien” (literally, practitionner, i.e. of an art or technique. In this
instance, most probably meaning someone who is knowledgeable of legal practice and procedures, seeing as
how there were many notaries within the Perrot family during the 17th and 18th centuries - translator's note)
from Darcey, and Reine Didier. He was born August 9, 1733, in Darcey, in Burgundy, in Côte-d’Or. In 1755, he
enlists in the Saint-Félix company, 3rd batallion, of the Berry regiment. He boards the ship Le Bizarre, on May 3,
1757, and arrives at Québec the following July 24.
The regiment will have their winter quarters at Côte-de-Beaupré and on Île d’Orléans during 1757-1758 and
1758-1759, and will winter in the area of Terrebonne during 1759-1760. Pierre decides to remain in Québec
when his company returns to France, on October 18, 1760, after the defeat of the French troops during
1759-1760 (Seven Years' War).
On April 6, 1763, Pierre obtains a certificate of leave which allows him to marry. The ceremony takes place on
April 11 at the Notre-Dame-de-Québec church. The lucky bride was Geneviève Poulin, daughter of Pierre Poulin
and Charlotte Racine. The couple will have three children :
-
Pierre-François, born January 30, 1764 in Saint-Michel-de-Yamaska and married January 30, 1787 to
Marie-Charlotte Dupéré;
François-Marie, born June 4, 1765, also in Saint-Michel-de-Yamaska;
Geneviève, married August 30, 1785 to Joseph Laurencelle.
To this date, i have not found the date of Pierre's decease.
2o What is the relationship between Pierre Perrot and Nicolas Perrot ?
Nicolas is the son of François Perrot and Marie Sirot (Sivot). The parents of François were François and
Étiennette Chamereau, his second wife. Pierre and Nicolas had as common ancestor this earlier François. In sum,
Pierre descended from the first marriage while Nicolas descended from the second.
Marie Bouchot ¦--------- François ----------¦ Étiennette Chamereau
(2nd marriage)
(1st marriage)
Laurent and Étiennette Lesestre
François and Marie Sirot (Sivot)
François and Françoise Nocquart
Nicolas and Madeleine Raclos
Claude and Catherine Coquet
François and Reine Didier
Pierre-François and Geneviève Poulin
3
Who was Nicolas Perrot ?
Nicolas Perrot came from Darcey, in Burgundy. Son of François Perrot and Marie Sirot or Sivot, he would have
crossed the Atlantic probably around 1660 because that same year finds him working for the Jesuits, who take
him along and instruct him in the dialects of the tribes they visit.
According to Benjamin Sulte,1 « Already from 1663, Nicolas was among the Savages of Wisconsin, serving the
Jesuit Fathers ». Father François-Xavier de Charlevoix adds : « Necessity forced him to enter into service of the
Jesuits, which would provide an opportunity to do business with most peoples of Canada and learn their
language ».2 Moreover, Claude-Charles Roy de la Potherie indicates that Perrot quit the missionnaries in 1665
and visited the Potawatomi and the Fox. In 1666, we find him working for widow Testard. In 1667, he is
employed by the Sulpicians in Montréal. He would then be 26 if we believe the census of 1667. Indeed, that
same year, he forms a commercial enterprise with Toussaint Beaudry, Jean Desroches and Isaac Nafrechoux to
work the fur trade in the Western Lands, all the while visiting the indian nations he knows well and whose
friendhip he has earned.
« The instincts of Nicolas Perrot, points out Benjamin Sulte, propelled him toward unknown regions, fur trade
country, like some said, and, despite the class of people later known as “coureurs des bois” (literally,
woods-runners) had not been created, there were enough facets of that life already extant which attracted a man
of Perrot's character. »3 The historian adds that, leaving the Sainte-Marie rapids (Sault-Sainte-Marie, ON), in
May 1670, and coming down the Ottawa, Perrot, along with four companions, met Cavelier de la Salle, who was
hunting with a few Frenchmen and a dozen Iroquois.
Back in Montréal, in June 1670, Perrot is immediately summoned to Québec by governor Daniel Rémy de
Courcelles, awaiting intendant Talon's arrival from France (August 18, 1670). It was then decided that
Saint-Lusson and Perrot would go to Wisconsin to assemble representatives from the western tribes and
conclude an alliance with these nations. Leaving in October, they winter with the Amikoué (Ojibwa, Chippewa)
north of lake Huron; and, on June 14, 1671, with the accord of 14 different peoples, take posession of the
Western Lands in the name of the king of France.
« Before 1671, adds Sulte, Perrot had only been a ”coureur des bois”, working for himself, with a few
associates, perhaps, but without fanfare, except that he had acquired extraordinary personal prestige in the
minds of the natives and that he was considered a first-class interpreter and orator. Evidently more learned than
most who engaged in this itinerant life, of superior talent, brave and wily if needed, he dominated equally his
French entourage and the peoples that came into contact with him. Perrot wrote with a good hand and had the
art of putting to paper the always remarkable observations he would collect on his far-flung trips. M. de
Courcelles had made a good choice in giving him the mission to accompany his representative to the
Sainte-Marie rapids, and in granting him large powers, to be able to conclude a durable pact with fourteen or
fifteen nations who could benefit our interests. »4
In October 1671, Nicolas Perrot takes a wife. The notarised contract written by notary Guillaume Larue and
dated November 11, 1671 reveals that Nicolas is the son of François Perrot and Marie Sirot or Sivot, of Darcey,
in Burgundy, and that the future spouse is Madeleine Raclos, daughter of Ildebon and of Marie Viennot of Paris.
The marriage would have taken place that day or in subsequent days, probably at Champlain. Unfortunately, the
wedding document has never made it to us.
In septembre 1672, Perrot obtained leave to trade from governor Frontenac, thanks, as Perrot himself admits in
his memoirs, to the intervention of Colbert's secretary, Bellinzani. Leave to trade, valid for one year, was
permission to travel by canoe to the Ottawa indians, laden with marchandise. Benjamin Sulte underscores : « ...
Perrot kept this privilege up to 1683, it seems doubtless that, from 1672 to 1683, he had reverted to being a
1
Sulte, Benjamin – Mélanges historiques, vol. 1, p. 50
Charlevois, François-Xavier – Histoire généralede la Nouvelle-France, 1744, II, p. 234.
3
Sulte, Benjamin – Mélanges historiques, vol. 1, p. 51
4
Sulte, Benjamin – Mélanges historiques, vol. 1, p. 52 4
2
coureur de bois, making the most of his trade permit, procured through his wife's money5. During this ten-year
period, he would make a trip each summer to the Great Lakes country, extending his knowledge of the
indigenous tribes »6.
On December 2, 1677, Perrot is granted a “censive”, four arpents wide by 20 arpents deep, on the shore of the
Saint-Michel river in Becancour. He had been there since at least 1675, since a notarised act, dated June 24
1675, designates him as habiting that place. The 1681 census confirms the settlement of this family in the
seigneury of Lintot, on the shores of the Saint-Lawrence.
In 1684, governor Le Febvre de la Barre persuades Perrot to go convince the western nations to fight the
Iroquois. Nicolas Perrot will undertake one of the most perilous journeys of his life. Setting out as soon as the
Ottawa river is ice-free, in company of some twenty men, he makes his way to “la baie des Puants” (Green Bay);
he frees the daughter of a Sauteux chief held by the Fox and extracts a promise from that chief that his nation
will not go to war against those who perpetrated this kidnapping. He then proceeds to the boundary of the Sioux
lands, where he has fort Saint-Antoine erected. Finally, he rallies the various western native tribes against the
“Tsonontouan” (Seneca of upper western New York state).
In the Spring of 1687, Perrot brings the fruits of his trade to the Saint-François-Xavier mission and heads with
his allies to Detroit into enemy territory, where he takes part in the destruction of five villages. But, in the
menatime, fire destroys the Saint-François-Xavier mission and Perrot's furs, who finds himself ruined. And, in
spite of all his efforts to correct the situation, he will never recover from this financial setback.
In 1688, Perrot serves as interpreter for chief
Otreouti, nicknamed la Grande-Gueule (Big
Mouth), who promises the neutrality of the
Onontague (Onondaga), Goyogouin (Cayuga)
and Onneiout (Oneida). In 1689, he returns to
Wisconsin to build fort Saint-Nicolas and, on
May 8, 1689, takes posession, in the name of
the king, of Green Bay, and the lake (Michigan)
and rivers of the Outagami (Fox) and
Mascoutens, with the accord of the native
peoples.
Monument to Nicolas Perrot in Wisconsin
Perrot will make several more trips to the West
to ensure the Peace and the interests of France.
Several times, he will come close to leaving his
skin and dying at the stake.
In 1696, he definitively returns to his concession in Becancour. Nevertheless, in 1701, governor de Callières
requests his services as interpreter for the western nations : this wil lead to the signing of Great Peace of
Montreal in 1701.
Having experienced stinging reversals of fortune, he is now pursued by creditors, brought before tribunals and
condemned. In spite of this, he accepts in 1708 the charge of captain of militia and takes the time to write his
memoirs, which will be published in Paris in 1864, entitled Mémoire sur les mœurs, coutumes et relligion des
sauvages de l’Amérique septentrionale.
Raymond Douville, in his analysis of the work, says : « His whole philosophy in dealing with the indians is
expressed, philosophy summarised in the last chapter, which at first glance, seems to be a series of wanderings,
an incoherent recall of his memories, but which suddenly takes on a tragic tone when we realize that Perrot
was rushing to put down his thoughts, knowing that he was going to run out of paper. Indeed, of his entire work,
the last sentence is the most moving : the shortage of paper won't allow me to expand on these kinds of
5
6
Madeleine Raclos' father had given a dowry of 1000 livres to each of his daughters at their marriage.
Sulte, Benjamin – Mélanges historiques, vol. 1, p. 54 5
harangues, like I should have been able to, if I had not been so deprived! For this man who had wanted to
deliver a whole continent to his country, concludes the historian, there is nothing left, not even a sheet of paper
to continue setting down his memories, occupation which is now his sole reason for living. »7
And Raymond Douville adds : « To his close kin and friends, he is merely a habitant like the others […] Only
He knows the fullness of his voyages. He had wanted to be more than an adventure-seeking, discovery-hungry
coureur des bois. He continually sought to be not only an ambassador of his country to the peoples he met, but
also a mediator between the Indians and the French. He saw tribes which no white man had encountered before
him, and he made allies of them. Only He knows that without his intervention, all the French who entered the
interior would have been undoubtedly massacred. By the strength of his persuasion and the subtlety of his
arguments, he even re-established peace between enemy groups. For years, he lived in a different, unknown,
world, and this is the world he offered to his country, who wanted naught of it. »8
The hero of the West dies, forgotten, August 13, 1717, to be interred the next morning in the Becancour church.
They said he was 74 year old. As for Madeleine Raclos, who has always lived in the shadow of her illustrious
husband, she will be buried in Trois-Rivières, July 8, 1724, having lived the same number of years as Nicolas.
Again, quoting Benjamin Sulte, « Nicolas Perrot was one of four or five outstanding persons of the XVIIth
century who ventured West. »9 The man whom the western indians called « the man with iron legs » covered
thousands of kilometers of impracticable route, suffering insect bites, bearing the cold, and courageously facing
the constant danger of being killed.
His numerous trips and prolonged absences didn't prevent Nicolas Perrot from having a large family. His eleven
children left an important descendance, particularly in the Lanaudiere region as well in the larger Montreal
agglomeration.
News from the Board - André Clément Perreault is henceforth a member of the Board of Directors
Indeed, during the last Board meeting in Joliette, on December 10 last, André Clément Perreault was chosen by the Board to
fill the 9th position, still vacant since the first General Assembly of April 2006. We're most pleased to welcome him as a
member of the group.
The Board adopted the financial report from the September 17 get-together and proceeded to analyze our performance that
day in order to improve our operations in future :
- a committee to come up with a policy to improve communications between the Association and its members;
- a procedure regarding the reservation, organization and decoration of the reception hall;
- a quicker process to greet invitees at the entrance, at the annual event;
- come up with an overall plan for the proceedings before said event actually takes place;
- invite members to display their works and any other items which would highlight their descendance;
- entrust the organization of the role-playing segment to a team of volunteers specially constituted for that purpose..
André Clément Perreault will prepare a mock-up of a membership card which we can hopefully send out at the same time as
the next issue, no. 2, of our newsletter, Le Messager des descendants de Nicolas Perrot.
7
A few unpublished notes on Nicolas Perrot and his family, Cahier des Dix, 1963, p. 58
A few unpublished notes on Nicolas Perrot and his family, Cahier des Dix, 1963, pp. 50-5
9
Sulte, Benjamin – Mélanges historiques, Vol. 1, p. 50 6
8
A BIT OF GENEALOGY
Nicolas Perrot and Madeleine Raclos (Champlain, 11-11-1671)
Michel Perrot dit Châteauguay and Jeanne Beaudry
(Trois-Rivières, 17-10-1712)
Pierre and Marie-Anne Lescarbot
(Saint-Sulpice, 26-04-1718)
Joseph and Geneviève Han-Chaussé
(Saint-Sulpice, 23-01-1736
Jean-Sébastien and Marie-Anne Laperche
(L’Assomption, 06-02-1747)
Pierre-Sulpice and Marie-Ursule Mondor dit Léonard
(Lavaltrie, 16-02-1765)
Michel and Thérèse Rivest
(L’Assomption, 30-01-1781)
Bénoni and Angélique
Christin dit St-Amour
(L’Assomption, 22-01-1782)
Pierre-Sulpice and Marguerite Laporte dit Saint-Georges
(Saint-Sulpice, 16-01-1791)
Michel and Hélène
Tellier-Lafortune
(L’Assomption, 03-10-1803)
Bénoni and Marguerite
Blanchard
(L’Assomption, 26-07-1803)
François and Charlotte
Pelletier
(Lavaltrie, 29-01-1822)
Joseph and Célina Lépine
(L’Assomption, 27-09-1836)
Michel and Sophie
Amireault
(L’Assomption, 16-10-1832)
Narcisse and Mathilda
Marcil
(Saint-Ambroise-de-Kildare,
24-08-1847)
François and Sophie
Payette
(Saint-Paul, le 02-07-1846)
Théophile and Marie
Dupuis
(Chertsey, 09-11-1869)
Séverin and Pétronille
Lippé
(Saint-Ambroise-de-Kildare,
09-07-1877)
Urgel and Eugénie
Desmarais
(Saint-Ambroise-de-Kildare,
09-01-1866)
Joseph-O. and M.-Louise
Paré
(Saint-Liguori, 26-06-1900)
Damase and Céline Dastous
(Saint-Jacques, Montréal,
1874)
Joseph and Léda Riberdy
Donat and Blanche Lavoie J.-Ernest and Rita Taillefer
(Sainte-Mélanie, 23-01-1894) (Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci,
(Saint-Laurent, Montréal,
24-07-1929)
1910)
Yvon and Yvonne Perreault
(Saint-Ambroise-de-Kildare, 13-08-1919)
Eddy and Aline Simoneau
(Rawdon, 20-05-1950)
Paul and Françoise Mireault
(Cathédrale-de-Joliette, 08-09-1952)
Micheline and Jean Després
(Montréal, 19-12-1981)
Édith and Luc Paradis
(Saint-Pierre (Joliette), le 06-06-1987)
7
Thérèse and Paul de Guire
(Montréal, 1947)
MEMBERSHIP FORM
A bit of genealogy (continued)
Nicolas Perrot and Madeleine Raclos
(Champlain 11-11-1671)
¦
Claude and Marie Goulet
(Repentigny, 09-07-1714)
¦
Jean-Baptiste and Madeleine Robillard
(Lavaltrie, 12-07-1728)
¦
Louis and Agathe Laporte dit
Saint-Georges (Lavaltrie, 08-07-1793)
¦
Ambroise and Josephte Marcil
(Saint-Paul, 09-01-1827)
¦
Charles and Philomène Giguère
(Saint-Paul, 25-10-1859)
¦
Charles and Rosalba Roberge
(Lowell, Mass., 11-06-1894)
¦
Celina
¦
André Clément Perreault and Margaret
Anna Lacasse (Ottawa, 16-07-1966)
Become a member of the Association of descendants of Nicolas
Perrot by filling out the following form :
return to : Association des descendants de Nicolas Perrot
1595, rue Piette
Joliette (Québec) J6E 3W3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Surname(s) and given name(s)
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Address : _________________________________________________
City : ____________________________________________________
Postal/zip code _______________ Email : ______________________
Telephone : Home (____) - _________ Office (____) - __________
Profession (previous, if retired) ____________________________
Age group
O 18 à 29 ans O
O 40 à 54 ans O
30 à 39 ans
55 ans et +
Areas of interest within the Association
------------------------------------------------------ O history and culture
NOTICES
O genealogy
O tourism and travel
We are currently working on a comprehensive
O Renewal
dictionary of the descendants of Nicolas Perrot. O New member
You can assist us by providing us with your
Individual membership O
15 $ CDN / yr
family tree, addressed to the Association.
Couple
O
25 $ CDN / yr
If you have any talents as writers or if you are
Payment
O cheque
O postal money order
knowledgeable with computers, you could
render us a great service by collaborating in the (cheques drawn on U.S. banks are accepted)
editing of the newsletter, by contributing
Signature ______________________________________________
articles, or by working on the web site of the
Association.
Recruter ________________________ Date : _______________
To offer your services, contact :
Claude Perreault
phone : 450.755-1552
email : [email protected]
8